Needle-threader.



PATENTED JAN. 8, 1905.

R. D. MELROSE.

NEEDLE THREADER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, 1904..

Witnesses.

/- Inventor UNTTED STATES Patented. January 3, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

NEEDLE-THREADER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,985, dated January3, 1905. Application filed A ia 28, 190 Serial No. 205,407.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT DAvIDsoN MEL- ROSE, machinist, asubject ofthe King of Great Britain, and a resident of 12 Atholl Place, Edinburgh,Scotland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Needle-Threaders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to needle-threaders, and in its preferredembodiment comprises a casing and a reciprocating thread plunger orcarrier and means whereby the thread and needle-eyes may be held inregister with the said carrier, whereby the thread may be engaged,projected through the eye of the needle and into position to be engagedby the hand of the operator during a single reciprocation of saidcarrier.

My invention differs from the devices of the prior art in having aprojecting carrier engaging the thread to push the same through theneedle-eyes instead of drawing the thread through by means of hooks.This difference of structure and operation not only greatly simplifiesthe manufacture of the device, but also simplifies the operationthereof. In devices of the prior art where the thread is drawn throughthe eye of the needle by means of hooks or clamps it is essential in thefirst operation to insert the hook through the needle-eye, to grasp thethread, and then draw the engaged thread and hook or eye backwardlythrough the needle, so that the operator may grasp the thread by thefingers. By the employment of my improved device one of the two completeoperations in the process of threading the needle heretofore necessaryis entirely avoided. The reciprocating thread projector first engagesthe thread and then projects the same through the eye of the needle andinto a position to be grasped by thehand during the reciprocation of theplunger from one limit of its movement to the other, the said plungerbeing restored to a normal position by automatic means hereinafterdescribed. In the preferred construction I also provide means wherebythe thread is held in a position to be engaged by the projector andmeans whereby the eye ends of the needles may also be held in a plane ofoperation of said projector, thereby avoiding the necessity of theoperators having to carefully adjust the needle and thread in position.

My invention also preferably includes a composite structure having athread container, which latter is provided with a threadcutter, enablingthe operator to sever a desired length of thread. without the employmentof scissors or other cutting means.

My invention will be described more fully with reference to theaccompanying drawings and will be pointed out more particularly in theappended claims.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the appliance. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectionon the line X X, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the pusher orspear in side elevation. Fig. 4c is a plan view of the spear or pusher.Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the spear or pusher with its spring. Fig.6 is a view drawn to an enlarged scale, showing the method of threadinga needle. Fig. 7 is a front end view, Fig. 8 a longitudinal section, andFig. 9 a back end view, of the needle-block. Fig. 10 is a section of theneedle-block on the line Y Y, Fig. 8. Fig. 11 is a horizontalcross-section through the center of the needle-block Fig. 8. Fig. 12 isa side view of the needle-block. The views of the needle-block Figs. 7to 12 are drawn to twice the size of the needle-block Fig. 1. Fig. 13 isan enlarged view of the end of the thread-holder.

On the drawings the same reference-letters wherever repeated indicatethe same parts.

It will be seen that the appliance consists of a casing a, made of thinmetal or other suitable material and having at the one side of it asmall tubular casing b, which serves for holding needles, and asecondsimilar casing 0 for holding thread. The needle-case Z2 is provided witha cover 6, while the thread-case c is provided with a cover 0. The cover0 may have, as shown at Fig. 13, cross-cuts or converging slits c in itsend, through which the thread can be drawn. If desired, the cuts Thecuts are sufficiently narrow to hold the thread with a certain amount offrictional grip.

Arranged within the casing is the plunger d, which has a thickened end aand a stop or shoulder f. The thread-engaging end of the plunger ispreferably flat at g to constitute a thread carrier or projector, and atthe opposite end an eye or ring it is provided, by means of which theappliance can be attached to the wearing-apparel or to a bag,work-basket, or the like. Cooperating with the plunger is a spiralspring 6, which bears against the shoulder f at one end and against theneedle-block j at the other end. The rear end of the shoulder when theplunger is in position within the easing a bears against a flange at theinterior of the rear end of the casing, so that the plunger cannot workor be pulled out of the casing.

The carrier or projector is made thin and narrow, so as to pass throughthe eye of a needle easily, and has at each side of it a longitudinalgroove 76, and its extreme end may be U-shaped, as at Z, or may beotherwise recessed or be square cut. The recess catches the thread andprojects or carries it through the eye of the needle, while thelongitudinal grooves serve as guideways for the looped thread. Theprojector may be made parallel throughout its length or may be slightlytapered.

The needle-block may be made of metal, glass, or other suitable materialand in a single piece or two or more pieces secured together. In thisblock is a longitudinal passageway an, in which the carrier works, andthe shape of this passage-way corresponds with the shape of the carrier.It is or may be made round or oval for the first part of its length, andthen it is narrowed down so as to form a narrow vertical slot or channelwhich just admits of the free passage of the projector. Two longitudinalthread guides or grooves n are made in the passage, one at each side,and these grooves serve, in correlation with the grooves in the carrier,as channels along which the thread can freely travel as it is beingpushed through the eye of the needle.

The thread is presented to the projector through a vertical slit 0, madein the needleblock and extending from the top of the block down to thecenter of the passage m', as shown in Fig. 8, and this slit is only wideenough to admit a thread of a thickness suitable for entering the eye ofthe needle. Formed vertically in the needle-block from the top down toslightly below the passage m are two (or other number) of holes 9 p forthe reception of the eye end of the needle to be threaded. If there aretwo holes, as shown at Fig. 8, then one is of a slightly-larger diameterthan the other, so as to admit a larger size of needle. Thus the hole pis larger than 39. Of course there might be a number of differentsizedholes; but generally two will be sufficient.

The appliance may be shaken slightly when the needle is inserted in thehole, so as to aid in the proper presentation.

The front end of the needle-block is cut away or beveled at each side,as shown at q q, Fig. 7, in order to facilitate the grasping of thethread with the finger and thumb. I

The needle-block is preferably removably fitted in the end of the casingby a screw 1'.

s designates a dust-cover, which is or may be connected to the holder 0by an ornamental chain 25. This cover serves to cover over theneedle-block when the appliance is not in use, and thereby prevent dustor dirt gaining access to the hole or holes and passage and thread-guidein the block.

If desired, the appliance may be made without the holders 6 c, and inthis case the plunger may be made hollow, so as to serve asa receptaclefor needles and (or) thread.

When threading a needle, the eye end there'- of is inserted into theproper hole p or p in the needle-block, and, if necessary, it may beshaken slightly, so as to facilitate the proper presentation of the eyeof the needle to the carrier. The thread is passed or drawn down theslit 0 to the bottom thereof, and then the projector is thrust forward,so that its end Z catches the thread and projects it through the eye ofthe needle, as at Fig. 6, (whereo is the needle and w the thread.) Whenthe pressure on the plunger is relieved, the springz' retracts theplunger and withdraws the projector from the needle-eye, at the same,time leaving the looped thread w in the eye and projecting out at thefront of the block, so that it can readily be caught between the thumband finger and the one end of the thread pulled completely through theneedle-eye, whereupon the needle, with its thread, can be raised up outof the block.

Of course, if so desired, the thread can be inserted in the slit 0before the needle is inserted in its hole 9'.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A needle-threader, including a casing provided with an axial passagehaving a reduced portion at one end, and a thread-carrier located insaid passage and having a reduced end, the walls of the reduced end ofsaid passage engaging the reduced end of said thread-carrier and guidingsaid carrier in a prescribed position, and causing the same to registerwith a thread-slit and needle-hole intersecting the reduced portion ofsaid passage.

2. A needle-threader, including a casing provided with an axial passagehaving a reduced portion at one end, a thread-carrier located in saidpassage and having a reduced end, the walls of said reduced portion ofthe passage engaging the reduced end of said carrier and guiding thesame in a prescribed position and causing the same to register With athread-slit and needle-receiver intersecting the reduced portion of saidpassage.

3. A needle-threader, including a casing provided with an axial passagehaving a reduced portion at one end, the Walls of said reduced portionof the passage being provided with longitudinal grooves, and athreadcarrier located in said passage and having a reduced end providedWith longitudinal grooves adapted to regisfer with the grooves in saidpassage, the Walls of said reduced portion engaging the reduced end oithe carrler and guiding the same in a prescribed position to bring saidgrooves of the carrier and passage in register, and causing said carrierto register With a thread-slit and a needlehole intersecting the reducedor grooved portion of said passage.

Signed at Edinburgh, Scotland, this 13th 26 day of April, 1904.

ROBERT DAVIDSON MELROSE.

Witnesses:

GEORGE BRAID, ROBERT F. SCOTT.

